Inside Nature's Giants

Inside Nature's Giants dissects the largest animals on the planet to uncover their evolutionary secrets.

Most wildlife documentaries tell you how an animal behaves, but by dissecting the animal and studying its anatomy we can we can see how an animal works.

Experts in comparative anatomy, evolution and behavior put some of the most popular and enigmatic large animals under the knife.

Veterinary scientist, Mark Evans, will interpret their findings, biologist Simon Watts tests the animals' physiology in the field and Richard Dawkins traces back the animals' place on the tree of life.

We dont need to study animals...we need to leave them alone. Simple as that. the only reason we have vets is to restore the damage done by humans. Look a bit deeper than what you see. I find these episodes very interesting, but for what purpose? That is a more important question. Is it all really necessary?

This show only uses animals that have been euthanized or have died of natural causes. And the study of animals are extremely important. It helps us to understand more and more of the origins of life and its evolution on earth. So yes, it is necessary.

Leona Capeling
- 05/17/2011 at 07:45

oh man sometimes reading peoples comments i just have to laugh, i think we need to lighten up here, don't you!!

In insulting people, I agree. But here is perhaps one of the only places on the internet that one can have an informed discussion with people. If you mean we should be swapping small talk then what's the point? Discussions are bound to get heated but as long as they stay civil I see no reason to lighten up.

Gary V
- 05/17/2011 at 03:39

Does anyone have another link to this doc ? I can't watch it here in the UK. Thanks in advance to anyone who has got one to share with us Brits.

URON... if you would take time to listen instead of "invent" problems you would find that in the very begining of the film they said the elphant had been suffering a long term untreatable illness and they 'put it down!! ' Pay attention, you failed the test.

The animals prior health non-withstanding, whenever you kill an animal for food you are dissecting it. For your gain, just as with scientific dissection you gain knowledge with food you gain energy. Just because elephants may be more coddled through your ideology than say pigs does not grant rights as to what animal should or should not be killed. And no I'm not a bleeding heart vegetarian, just someone who hates flawed logic.

thekingbeyondthegate
- 05/22/2011 at 19:52

There is nothing wrong with killing an animal in the interest of science. To say otherwise, in the words of Marlowe, is "too servile and illiberal for me". It seems strange that someone can watch documentaries like this, know about evolution and all, and still think that there is some kind of universal morality. We are animals. What does it matter if we kill other animals, especially sustainbly in the interests of science? It is through the dissection of some few animals that the lives of many others can be saved by veternarians.

kman67
- 06/14/2011 at 23:16

What's the point of saving lives if we have no morality? People like u are scary...

Levi Troy
- 07/04/2011 at 14:53

That's probably the most ridiculous, illogical tripe I've ever read.

Blockade
- 06/29/2011 at 09:56

well it is in the name of science and the animal was suffering so it was euthanized. maybe try paying attention before stating assumptions you might have enjoyed it a lil more if you payed attention to the facts right from the start

Anthony i at least see a major difference between killing an animal to dissect it on a tv show. Also i think the respect payed to theese creatures is exteremely important, and the scientists in the program are very respectful. Which would not be the case if you popped some cat into a micro wave for the fun/entertainment of it.

The show warns sensitive viewers, and as you probably noticed many of their programs have a live audience of people undergoing a vetrinary education, giving them a oppertunity to learn/experience some things you can't get out of a text book.

Is it just me or does anyone else find the butchering of these creatures to be somewhat distaste-full. Whilst I can see the importance of the anatomical information with regards to those entering the veterinarian professions; I find that the macabre spectacle is slightly unsettling to me. And I assure you I am by no means squeamish(and I've seen allot worst), I cant really put my finger on it but perhaps I am unsettled by what seems to me to be a collision of Victorian-esq Freak-show style presentation with the field of anatomical dissections.

All of the anatomical information is for the most part all-ready widely presented in literature so I cannot see the merit of the exercise, other than of coarse mere spectacle. Honestly are we really so depraved now that we can no longer separate academia and entertainment(not that its a new trend), we have all-ready had live dissection of human cadavers televised (of coarse intended to pay the utmost respect to the deceased when the celebrity-coroner accidentally drops the corpses penis onto the floor live) once again it seems television executives either hold us with the utmost contempt or lack any moral compass.

It seems to me to be the way forward though I mean lets just cut to the chase and pop a cat in the microwave and bang it on telly I'm sure there is some science in that, then we dissect it afterwards DUMMY! so that we can see the scientistic thingimbobinses in the what's-it-me-doodle.Or better yet hitting toads with mallets Live yeah now that's entertainment.

I think it's fantastic. I've always been very interested in the scientific inner workings of large animals, deeper than the bright red and blue cardiovascular systems we all learned with in grade school. It is INCREDIBLY hard to find interesting information like this, outside of going to a veterinary college.

I can completely understand why you might be off-put by this type of spectacle. It's certainly not meant for all audiences. Maybe I'm giving them too much credit, but I don't think this show was meant to appeal to baser entertainment. Especially considering the focus on the study of the creature. (The audiences interested in the scientific explanation of tissue connections in an elephants digestive tract and the ones interested in microwaving cats are quite different, I would think.)

And, yes, I'm certain that all of this information is presented, buried in a biologists text book somewhere, but I think that it's fantastic that I can see this, too. We live in a world where this kind of scientific study is available for all people to gain a deeper understanding of how the creatures on our planets operate -- albeit in a very blunt, unabashed manner.

AlfBeta
- 06/20/2011 at 20:40

I agree completely. It's not what it seems. I didn't watch it

Levi Troy
- 07/04/2011 at 14:51

It completely is distasteful. It's incredibly disturbing, and there's been a lot of controversy from conservation groups due to many of the animals killed and dissected being endangered.

tyler durden
- 06/09/2010 at 04:59

Crawling inside dead whales, must take a special person. Thats a strong gut. I don't envy them, I am glad there are people out there willing to go the extra mile in the name of science.